peacearena

On Sunday, March 22, Oklahoma City peace activists, veterans and military families marked the 6 year anniversary of the beginning of the Iraq War and occupation.
Several moving speeches were given, including by Gold Star fathers Warren Henthorn and John Scripsick, who lost their sons in Iraq. The Oklahoma Eyes Wide Open Exhibit was also on display, with 73 pairs of boots representing the Oklahomans who died in Iraq.
Here’s the speech by Veteran and conscientious objector Daniel Sandate, who now lives in OKC and is a peace activist and counter recruitment counselor.
(Sorry again for the shaky camera, haven’t got a tripod yet.)

Great song that is beloved enough to be parodied by half the planet — I just watched a bunch on YouTube. This is not the old Peter, Paul and Mary song! (not that there’s anything wrong with that) but The Proclaimers folk love anthem that is actually titled ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles).’

The song was in Benny and Joon, the Johnnie Depp film. Check out mashups with Shrek, Homer Simpson, Family Guy, and South Park. Funny stuff.
It was even on Comic Relief, with Craig and Charlie chiming in at the end.

First 1000 packages will be signed by band members, and 10 of those 1000 will have special tix to the Flaming Lips’ New Years Eve show in OKC. Only available on FlamingLips.com

I’m having very conflicted feelings about out lesbian Ellen Degeneres being the new Cover Girl model. so I’m putting out a call to other aging feminists: What do you think? Watch and take the poll below.

Is Ellen as a cosmetics model a civil rights breakthrough or feminist setback? ( polls)

I’ve been out of commission for a few days with a major head cold, and before that a few days of my mother needing all my attention.
But I’m feeling better and hopefully will be in a browsing and posting mood again soon, with some time to do so.
Unfortunately, I did not miss the “hamster on a piano” craze. Like I wasn’t in enough misery!
So, here’s a worthwhile video of the great Suzi Quatro. it was on the Times Square soundtrack album, which is one of my favorite albums of all time. If you find a copy, grab it. I first got a cassette tape of it on just by chance, and wore that out in no time. Then got vinyl, then got another. (Song list here)

I visited the Pets and People shelter in Yukon today. I’m thinking about getting a small dog or cat.
The people who work and volunteer at such places are made of some strong stuff, I’m telling you. After about five minutes there, I was a basket case. So many animals without homes is heartwrenching. There must have been at least 30 cats in one room, and the cages of some of the large dogs were too small for comfort. But at least they are safe, warm and well fed. I’d say they need more volunteers, but

With the terrorist attack in Mumbai, India, for the past two days, CNN viewers in the U.S. have been getting the international CNN feed, rather than the mostly crap CNN usually plays in this country. When CNN is good, which is rare these days, you really can’t beat in, not on basic cable, anyway.
So, now willingly watching CNN without the spectre of Lou Dobbs popping up, I caught an interview (actually, turns out it was a replay of a previous interview) of author Deepak Chopra talking about the so-called

I love Rosie O’Donnell. I know a lot of people don’t, including lefties, gays and women. But I do. Her talk show may have saved my live; during a very difficult period I looked forward to that show every day, and it was the only thing I had to look forward to. Her love and enthusiasm for theater, music and pop culture was infectious. She used to say “my Tommy” referring to her “crush” on Tom Cruise (which infuriated a lot of the aforementioned gays), and I would refer to her as “My Rosie.”

My friend (and long-time Okie blogger) James of JMBzine shot this with his new mini video camera. Don’t know the woman’s name who is speaking.

Darla managed to catch James Nimmo’s great speech. (She was going to post here about it on Saturday, but things got too crazy.)

At the Peace Fest, James, Darla and John Walters all had these little cameras and I was so envious, I came home and ordered one for myself, getting a great deal on a Flip Ultra at Amazon, which included a free tripod. With free shi

There was an article in Sunday’s Oklahoman about this family of five brothers and sisters who play piano and are reportedly making classical music cool for kids.
The 5 Browns will perform in Edmond on the 17th and Stillwater the 18th.
Nov 17, Edmond  Armstrong Cultural Foundation
Nov 17, Edmond  Herbert W Armstrong College
Nov 18, Stillwater  Oklahoma State
But let’s not let any appearance in the Angie and Dave Daily prejudice our expectations, okay; these young men and women seem talented

I didn’t vote for Al Gore in 2000 and Joe Lieberman, Al’s stupendously stupid VP pick, is why. He was a whiny sanctimonious prick then, and he’s gotten worse every year since. His political assholery is becoming the stuff of legend. Only now, after being rejected by the Connecticut Democratic Party in 2006, he has an “I” next to his name. But he caucuses with the Democrats in the Senate, and, because in the last Congress they needed him in the caucus to maintain majority, he was given a plum chair

In 1963 (a year after Nelson Mandela was imprisoned), she testified before the UN and asked them to intervene, give black South Africans rights in their own country, release political prisoners. The UN did nothing and for her trouble, the white minority government stripped her of her South African citizenship.
She finally went back to South Africa after Nelson Mandela became its president. But by that time she was a citizen of the world. She contributed a huge talent to the universe and lived to see South

This is destined to be a classic: Mika Brzezenski defending Sarah Palin, Lawrence O’Donnell telling Pat Buchanan, who can’t stop fawning over Sarah Palin and lying about her impact on the ticket, that “yours is the party that celebrates ignorance” then asking if he believes in evolution. Then Pat’s head explodes. Monkeys! And Mika babbles in disbelief (okay, that last part happens all the time).
TV worth watching, I’m telling you!

The political seismic shift that occurred Tuesday night, compressed into ten minutes. I still tear up watching it. Thanks to Jed via Daily Kos.

Joan, still a fervent pacifist at 67, has a new album Day After Tomorrow (the title song is an anti war ballad by Tom Waits)

In an interview with CNN she talked about how she has grown with age, the changes in her voice, and about Barack Obama.
Joan’s MySpace page
Day After Tomorrow
I got your letter today
And I miss you all so much, here
I can’t wait to see you all
And I’m counting the days, dear
I still believe that there’s gold
At the end of the world
And I’ll come home
To Illinois
On

Watch this fantastic video ’song to Obama’

The singer/songwriter is Hannah Friedman. Talented, smart and brave woman. She left a comment on my last post with the link. Thank you, Hannah, for your great heart. I hope it’s not broken, by Obama, or anyone.

Change is coming! The future is waiting for us. Viva la revolution!

Well, better her than us, which is what it would be if she were to be elected VP. And the past 8 years have been one loooong prank call by George W. Bush, if you ask me.
She actually thought the president of France would call her to shoot the breeze and plan a hunting trip.
If she and her staff can’t vet a damn phone call, or know when they’re being played for a fool (which wasn’t hard to catch) how do you think they are going to keep this country safe from, like, actual bad guys who don’t throw out

Moveon.org has come up with a cool tool to get out the vote — videos than contain the viewer’s name as the deadbeat non-voter who caused McCain to win by one. It’s a horror movie come to life, your worst nightmare you can’t wake up from. Not the way you want to get your 15 minutes.
(Okay, if you’re going to get technical, if McCain won by one vote, then another one for Obama would be a tie, then it would go to the House, etc. etc, but let’s have a little suspension of disbelief in the interest

Good news — the Bush Legacy Tour is coming to our community!
Stop by the bus to see a traveling museum dedicated to President Bush’s failed conservative policies — and to show your support for Americans United for Change.
Wednesday, October 15th
12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Oklahoma State Capitol
2300 N. Lincoln Blvd.
South End of South Parking Lot
Oklahoma City, OK

About the Bush Legacy Tour
Today, George W. Bush has the approval of only roughly one in three Americans according to most polls with two